Strange Minds
by Fenri5
Summary: Starts in the middle of a 'The Batman' episode called 'Strange Minds'. Batman has to go inside Joker's mind to find where he is holding Detective Yin. What he finds is more he bargained for and raises some serious questions about his arch enemy. Joker x Batman later
1. Chapter 1

First story after coming back to fanfiction. Been having this idea for a while lol.

This whole story is from the series 'The Batman' where Joker is def. not Mark Hamill but he is still amazing. My favorite series by far.

Reviews keep me going. :D

* * *

Save her...I must, save her. Save Detective Yin.

_"Your so overcome with the obsession of saving, I almost wonder what would happen if you were to fail. Are you afraid to fail, Batman? What happened when you were a child?"_

The voice of Dr. Strange echoed in Bruces head as he eagerly searched through Joker's subconscious for clues on the detective. And they had to be here. They had to be..somewhere.

He was the Dark Knight. He had to save her. HAD TO! He would not be able to live with himself if he did not.

After a brief run in with lady and baby Joker, Bruce had flown up to the top of a building to escape the madness. There was a ding behind him, and he turned to see a factory built with a light bulb on top. It even lit up when he turned.

"Joker's idea factory?" he murmured to himself, walking to the doors.

He felt almost something like a shiver run down his spine when he opened the purple doors. Something was in here the clown really did not want him to see.

Bruce stepped inside, staring into the darkness. Many filing cabnets lined the walls of the dark factory, perhaps a little cobwebs here and there. He dusted one off, seeing a label that sparked his interest.

"Maybe Y for Yin?" he pulled, but was suddenly slammed backwards when the drawer extended farther than it should have.

Bruce stared at the piles of electric teeth as they laughed at him. At his failure.

"No, Y for yucks." sighed a young voice in the darkness.

Bruce searched for the owner, not having to look hard to find the source. His eyes widened. Jackpot!

"You are-"

"The only shadow of Joker's former self?" the man finished, stamping another document and shoving it to the side.

Bruce looked for a second, maybe for a clue, but they were all mindless gibberish all stamped in red, 'crazy'.

"I didn't want to be stuck here doing this. I really just want to make people laugh." on his last sentence, he stopped what he was doing to hold his chin with his hand in a dreamy expression and voice. And when he smiled, Bruce saw Joker through and through.

"Listen you must be able to help me!" he started, slamming his hands on the table. "I'm looking for someone whose time is about to run out! If you have any humanity left in you, you will tell me where to find her!"

The man, startled and holding his hands up for cover said, "Hey I didn't want any part of this." he suddenly leaned in, putting a hand to cover his mouth as if it were a secret. "You'll want current schemes. It's that door behind me-"

"Now what did I tell you about sharing family secrets?" a familiar voice echoed throughout the room.

Bruce and the man stared around wildly, and then a hole was cut out of the ground with a saw where the man was sitting in a chair, and like that, he fell.

Bruce reached for him, but it was too late. The man fell into a vat of green-looking chemicals.

And out popped Joker, as to be expected.

"The water's warm Batman. Hop in!" he laughed, staring up at the Dark Knight.

Batman felt a familiar tick in his head, but chose to move on.

He put his gloved hand on the door, and from there on decided there was no going back. He would do anything it took to save detective Yin. He had to.

Suddenly, he was pushed through the door. And to admit, he probably needed that help. His mental state was becoming cloudy the more he stayed in this hell-hole.

Singing. Who was singing? Bruce, are you really going crazy?

Brown eyes looked up to see a spotlight, and center was Joker, wearing the outfit he had stole earlier from the Gotham Museum. He also adorned the makeup of the opera singer who wore the outfit, and was singing in perfect tune with the original. His crazy, chemically altered red and yellow eyes were trained on Batman's body as he laid on the floor, staring.

When Joker ended the sonnet, his spotlight shut off abrubtly and was replaced by a jack-in-the-box.

"Oh, Batman, help me help me!" the mocked voice of Yin yelled from inside the box.

Bruce stared in horror.

"Oh, I'm coming Yinny!" a puppet of Batman strutted across the stage towards the box.

And right as it got there, the box exploded and Yin's puppet body flung in front of Bruce. Burning. She was burning.

He dropped to his knees.

How could he let her die? HOW?

And then to mock him came Joker's laugh. At first it was just him in the costume from earlier, pointing and laughing at Batman.

Bruce shakily charged him, taking Joker by the collar and holding him up.

"Where is she?" he growled.

He was only answered with more laughter, Joker now holding his head he was laughing so hard.

Bruce threw him as hard as he could away. Didn't matter what direction. The laughing. Oh, the laughing.

And then, all around him, suddenly there was an audience of Joker clones all laughing at him hysterically. Some were pointing, some were holding their sides, some in tears.

Bruce felt his head hurt more and more.

And now it was his turn.

He dropped to his knees again, and as he did so, he began to laugh. Sobbing laughter. Insane laughter. He was losing his mind.

"Bruce."

Who was that?

"Master Bruce!"

He did hear it! It was Alfred. He was still back with his body in the cave. He had to do this. He had to complete his mission.

Shakily, he stood and raised a fist to Joker, pinning him under his weight as well.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he roared, ready to swing.

Suddenly all the Jokers in the audience frowned and so did the real one.

"Your dancing in a hornets nest, fella." he chimed, smiling again.

Bruce looked behind him, and suddenly all of his clones were launching out of their seats and straight for him. They grabbed at every inch of him, punching and clawing and eventually overpowering. This happened for merely a moment before a huge hand reached in and took him out.

Joker? Why would he save him?

"Tell me where she is, Joker." he growled, completely trapped in Jokers giant hand.

"You want in? I'll take you so deep you won't know your way out." and with that, he shoved Batman in his mouth and swallowed.

_Down._

_Down._

_**Falling forever.**_

And then he touched ground. He felt dazed and confused. Where could he be now. He looked up, barely able to see. But enough to make out Jokers white feet standing so close to him.

"Your in my world now." Joker purred, grabbing Batmans hood, holding him so they were inches apart. Batman never knew just how crazy odd his hair was.

"Arkham!" he said, dropping Bruce at the same time.

Bruce slowly crawled to the door while Joker was busy talking over his shoulder or doing whatever that had him distracted enough to not notice Batman was reaching his destination.

Was Yin somewhere in Arkham?

Joker happened to look back as Bruces hand got around the handle, and gasped.

"No, Bats! These are my private thoughts now. You don't see these."

Joker pulled at his cape, and Bruce did slide backwards for a moment before he found the strength to stand and kick Joker away.

Judging by his reaction, she was here!

He took off down the hall, holding his arms to his shoulders as if he was freezing. He was freezing..

"No!" the word was long and drawn out, and Joker chased after him. And he did so with such gusto that Bruce was even mildly surprised. Even when he looked back, Jokers eyes seemed a different kind of troubled than they usually are when he foils one of his stupid chemes to has Gotham.

And as he was gaining quite significantly, Bruce picked the first door at the end.

"Batman it's not that door!" Joker yelled desperately.

Yeah, right. And so he flew through it, triumphant he found the answer to where Yin was being kept.

Instead he found something else that totally threw him off track.

Where was he?

The place was dark and damp. Almost like when he stopped Joker when he was using the trains to turn people into thieves except this cave was carved out to be, well, something useful he assumed.

And then he slowly put all the pieces together when he saw a poorly replicated bat-mobile in an area flooded with a little light.

"Is this..my bat-cave?" Bruce murmured, so transfixed by this sudden development, he forgot Joker was over his shoulder.

Joker had been standing behind him, frozen in place since he went through the door. He was fiddling with his fingers like a child in trouble.

"Is it?" Joker grumbled, barely audible.

Bruce turned to look at the grumpy clown. "Are you really Joker?"

Was Bruce going crazy now?

"Of course I am!" he flattened his arms at his sides in a pouty way. "Wait, do you think YOU'RE going crazy? AHAHAHA!"

Joker pointed and laughed for a second, before seeming to get a new idea. He stopped laughing and smoothed back his long, green hair.

"You are. This is all a dream. Clearly you are obsessed with me Batman." Joker said this as if he was a doctor making a diagnosis.

Tired of the games, Bruce walked up to the clown and grabbed both of his wrists, Joker reacting in a way he didn't really expect (blushing)but he was serious. He didn't have time for this.

"Why is my bat-cave in your head?" he growled, Joker sort of trying to cover his face from being seen.

"This is my head! And I don't owe you any explanation!" Joker growled back, gritting his teeth and even glaring. Bruce apparently hit a nerve.

"Tell me where Yin is and I'll forget this!" Bruce barely contained hitting this insane criminal. As much as he wanted to know why Joker had a makeshift bat-cave in the very inner-workings of his brain, he needed to find her first.

"Will you?" a soft, but hopeful reply peeped out of Joker.

At this, Batman totally eased up. He stared at Joker with wide eyes, never having witnessed the crazed clown sucumb to reason or, well, anything.

"Yes." Bruce said, a little softer tone, surprise laced in every move he made.

"Shes in the old theater. Down old Gotham road. The broken down theater, you know the one I'm talking about." Joker picked up his arm, defeated, and looked at his goofy watch. "If you go now you'll have about ten minutes."

Ten minutes? He had time. "Why do you not want me to pursue the matter of this.." he looked back. "..cave?"

Joker shrugged, not meeting Batmans eyes anymore. "Just leave, Batman. You got what you want. Go save her."

He had never heard the Joker sound so...sane.

He didn't even know that word could be put in the same sentence as 'Joker'.

He even slowly let go of Joker's collar. Bruce even stood back a little, almost ashamed to have assaulted this person that clearly wasn't the crime clown as he knew him.

Joker scratched the back of his head, ruffling the back of his hair as he did so.

"What about Strange?" Bruce asked, remembering the doctor was still searching through Joker's mind.

"I'm sure his machine will run out of juice sometime soon." Joker sighed, turning away and walking to the door.

"I can destroy it. That is an obvious invasion to privacy. Criminal or not, it is dangerous technology that does not need to exist."

"How kind of you Bats, for a second, it almost seems like your going soft on me." he turned and gave Bruce a smirk. Not even a crazy smile, just a normal smirk.

And with that, he turned and faded into the halls of Arkham.

* * *

Bruce woke from the machine, turning immediately to look at Alfred who had been watching his every move until now.

"Well?" Al said, eyebrows raised.

"I found her. But I also found..something else." he studied the ground for a moment.

Bruce moved to configure a couple of codes here and there, and then turned to Alfred.

"I set this device to short circuit the other machine like this one." he put a hand on the transmitting device. "So it will destroy both. Technology like this is dangerous and Wayne Tech will not be responsible for it. Detonate it when your ready, Al. I have to retrieve Yin."

He rode an automated elevator down into his bat-mobile, signaling to Alfred before speeding away.

He knew he would get to her in time now, but he thought of the other thing on his mind.

Why did Joker, in the very core of his mind, have a bat-cave there? And why was he so..human when asked about it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the review anon. :D And the fav.! **

**Now this one I wrote pretty much on the brink of sleep the whole time so if it seems a little forward/confusing/poorly worded I blame it on the sleep lol.**

* * *

It almost felt like coming out of a dream. You know, that almost super sleepy and dazed feeling you get when someone suddenly wakes you from a dream? It was like that when Joker woke up.

He looked over at Dr. Strange, seeing he was going through the same and eeeeeveryone around him was seeing to his poor health, and so, like the genius he is, Joker used that moment to push himself out of his seat and saw off his restraints on a broken piece of sticking-out metal.

Strange pointed rapidly at Joker, who cackled at him when he was indeed free, and like so, free to beat everyone up. And he could because everyone here was small fry.

A kick here,

A flip here,

Amazing kung fu there, Jokey. He mildly smiled at himself for being so limber, and moved to take the keys from there pockets.

One to his cell, one to break out of this pathetic excuse for a containment.

Joker swung the keys around his finger, kicking everyone slightly, just to make sure they were out cold.

Yup.

And just for shits and giggles,

"Oh Pengyyy." Joker called to the cells. Penguin popped his head up after a few seconds, desperately grasping at the grate to hold him up. He was too short to just look out of it.

Oswald blanched at the keys Joker shook out in front of him. "Let me out Joker! You and me, we can do whatever you want to do to Gotham! Good deal, huh? Let me out! LET ME OUT!" he started to shake the bars.

"I don't know." he held the keys close to Penguin's ha-flippers before pulling them back swiftly. "HAHA, NOPE!"

Penguin made some sort of squawking sound, which Joker found quite ironic, and laughed at the others plight before walking down the hall, probably beating up some orderly, stealing there clothes, and running out of Arkham.

All laughs aside, he had to find out what Batsy thought after seeing, well, his little secret...

As bad as it was, he couldn't help but find humor in it.

"Clown on the town." he giggled before fading into the dark alleys of Gotham.

* * *

"Sir?"

Bruce had been contemplating his journey into Jokers void. It really left some questions. He knew Joker for what he was, a criminal, a psychopath, and above all, completely, well, a joker. Never was he serious. But the other night..

"Oh, hi Alfred good morning." he yawned from where he sat in his bed.

"It is five in the afternoon, sir. Morning has long past." Al set down the, well, it would not be dinner, next to his bed and stood there, arms crossed.

"Oh crap, did I have anything set for today?" Bruce halfway got out of his bed, cover in one hand, and one leg extending to get up.

"No, or I would have woke you up ages ago." Alfred sighed, and Bruce climbed back in bed.

"What would I do without you Al?" Bruce chuckled apologetically at his butler, thankful for his help.

With everything going on, Bruce truely had a hard time keeping up with his normal lifestyle next to being the Dark Knight.

"Don't get so comfortable yet, Master Bruce. I'm sorry to inform you of some bad news." Alfred robotically spit it out. There was always something new happening. And this sounded like Batman business.

"Go on?" Bruce folded his arms in front of him, leaning into them.

"Joker broke out of Arkham last night. Authorities said the machine had some sort of electrical side-effect to where it gave him enough time to escape."

"Oh.." Bruce still wasn't over the whole bat-cave thing. He was pretty sure Joker would never give a straight answer, however.

"Pardon me sir, but I think our crazed crime clown may have bit off more than he can chew. You see, the machine gave Dr. Strange a concussion of sorts from being brought out so abruptly by our device. If this is true and Joker did not get injured at that moment, perhaps tonight he will be, well, sickly?"

Alfred frowned at his improper use of words.

"So...is he in any danger?" Bruce whispered. He had a strict moral code to keep to, here.

"I guess if a migraine is danger. But who knows? There could be other things that could go wrong besides just a headache."

Bruce watched his butler go into thought for a moment. Complete with a finger to his lips and his eyes looking up.

"I'll keep an eye out for him tonight Al, as I would even if he didn't have this strange sickness. I guess it'll help in taking him down." followed by uneasy laughter.

Knowing how dangerous some of the things Joker does, he'd hope the lunatic wouldn't fall into a blender. Last thing he needed was to be 'Batman, the killer'.

* * *

Joker had set camp where he knew Batman could find him.

He even looked a little miserable.

Joker was kicking his chair back, his feet propped up on some object that just happened to be in front of him. His TV stood a couple feet away, playing some sort of show he'd seen over and over again, but was somehow still funny.

Well, not tonight.

He looked over his shoulder quickly, as if he expected Bats to be there, but he wasn't.

This has been going on for about, oh, since he got out of Arkham.

Punch and Judy showed up to take orders from him, but even to their amazement he had sent them away.

Joker also had a headache. Which, being kind of loony and all, he got headaches but this one was kind of like a dull ring.

He stood, ruffling out his jacket from being bunched up, but immediately sat back down when Batman came crashing into the scene.

He fell directly in front of Joker, making the latter fall into his chair and arch up like a cat almost.

He expected Bats to be direct, but that was a little more than he thought.

"Joker." he growled out, holding a batarang in one hand to where Joker could see it.

"Ah, Batsy!" Joker clapped his hands together, but after that, remained where he was. No aggressive movement, no nothing.

Realizing this, Batman lowered his hand.

"I have a question for you Joker."

"Ah ah ah, you told me if I gave you Yin you would leave me alone about it." he smirked, holding his chin up with his hand, sitting uncomfortably in his throne-esque arm-chair.

"You were clearly expecting me." Bats pointed out. Boy, was he good.

"Maybe." Joker looked off. "I never get bored of your presence."

Ding dong. Batman looked around like he had just heard that himself.

"Huh?" he broke out of character, enough to make Joker cackle. He held his sides for a moment and pointed.

"My biggest secret." the pointy finger came and rested on his lips, red eyes staring up at Bats.

"Well, you clearly want it to be found out it seems." Bats pointed at Joker this time. He knew that he was out of character, he just didn't care anymore. JOKER was out of character!

"Who knows. I never know. One day I don't, like yesterday, and today I'm like eh." he shrugged his shoulders.

Joker took a finger and pressed it to his forehead. This headache kind of hurt.

Batman watched this exchange with his finger and forehead, and Joker smiled all silly-like.

"Do I interest you, Batman?"

"Mildly. Do you feel sick?"

"I do sort of feel...off. But then again I've been off for a long time now." And this was funny, so he laughed. Batman narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

It was weird. An actual friendly exchange between enemies.

"So you want to know why I dreamed up a bat-cave in my mind?" Joker got to the point, smirking up at the Dark Knight from where he sat.

Batman felt his breathing stop a little.

"I wasn't always into the whole gas Gotham thing you know." he chuckled. "I wanted to be a crime fighter too. And when I made my transformation, I didn't look much like a superhero. Your everything I wanted to be. I may be mildly jealous of that, kiddo, so I was building my own sanctuary in my noodle." Joker watched for any signs of change on the others face. "Sorry if that freaks you out. That I, your crazy psychotic arch-enemy could be so.."

"Human?" Bruce finished, staring at this creature in new light. There was some humanity left after all.

"Sure!" the pitch in his voice rised, as it often did from time to time. "And I also discovered I am attracted to you in a different sense." he prodded Bruce in the chest, which Bruce immediately swatted away.

"Obviously." Batman grumbled.

"Your not getting it." Joker frowned, and traced Batmans outline with his finger, not touching him or anything, just air-tracing.

There was a point to it, but this was lost when his nose started bleeding.

"Oh?" Joker prodded at his nose, pulling back to see blood. He actually made a disgusted face, surprising Batman since he still didn't really think of Joker as a person yet, and looked at the Dark Knight.

"Well this isn't good." Joker grumbled before literally passing out in his chair. It almost looked like he got knocked out with a punch more than anything. How his eyes rolled in the back of his head, and the bloody nose.

Bruce could have shrieked, but instead, picked Joker up over his shoulder and immediately went back to the bat-cave. Something was terribly wrong.

* * *

When he arrived, he put Joker down on a stretcher that, before, was holding his things, but he cleared it off for the other.

Bruce stopped for a moment, and reached for a pair of handcuffs in a back-up locker. He held them in his hand, looking at Joker for a moment before closing them around his wrist and attatching the other to the table.

He may have appealed to Bruce's nicer side, but he was still his enemy. The one who single-handedly could have killed many Gotham citizens a multitude of times. He was not to be trusted.

Somewhere close, he heard the sound of metal hitting the floor. Bruce looked up for a moment to see Alfred standing at the foot of the stairs, eyes wide and staring at the new guest all sprawled out on the table.

"Sir..." he started.

"Can it, Al. He was bleeding and in need of attention and I will not let anyone die on my watch." Bruce began searching for this and that under his table.

"But sir.."

"I WILL NOT-" he slammed his fist down hard on the floor, making Alfred take a step back. "-LET ANYONE DIE by my hands, Al, is that so hard to understand?"

Bruce stopped and brought his knee's to his chest. Al reached down and patted the other on the shoulder. He didn't mean to yell, truly, but this was something he just had to do.

"I'll go prepare something for our guest." Alfred sighed, heading back up the stares with whatever things had dropped to the floor when he let the tray slip.

Then there was a groan. Bruce checked quickly to make sure his hood was still in place. Yes? Good. Dark eyes looked down at the other, who squinted in the light.

"Where am I?" Joker grumbled, shielding himself with his arm before realizing it was chained.

"Does it not look familiar?" Batman scoffed, turning away.

Joker sat up as much as he could, and looked around clearly. Soon his eyes went wide in amazement and he let out a crazy little giggle.

"Are we on a date, Batsy?" Joker laughed.

"No were here to make sure you do not suddenly die." Bruce was pouring concotions together, only mildly aware of the other behind him.

"Oh." it was long and drawn out. Almost irritated. Bruce looked over his shoulder casually, and saw Joker was laying with one knee up and bent, and an elbow up to hold his face. His expression was less than pleased and he was looking at the cieling.

"Did you really think that I lived in a shabby cave with nothing in it but my vehicle?"

"Maybe. You MUST be rich. Who are you Bats? I won't tell a soul." he had turned to be on his stomach, smiling creepily at Bruce's back.

"Yeah, not going to happen." he turned. "Here. You can take it or I can shove a needle into your arm. This is made to counteract any harmful substances left from the machine that you and Strange used."

Joker stared at the vial as he was being told what it was for, and eventually looked back up at Bruce. "Oh, Batsy I didn't know you cared!" he then frowned. "Hey you were using one too! How come your not sick?"

"Because I came out on my own free will. You and Strange were forced out." He picked up a needle, and showed it to Joker.

"I hate needles." the other growled, finally taking the serum. "Who knows? This is probably poison. Your life would be oh so much easier without me, right?"

When he was saying it, Joker laid on his back, letting the rest of his body go limp so he could stare at Bruce. Batman turned around, noting how long the others hair was since it hung off the very edge of the table. How does his hair look like that?

"Yes, but I am not a killer. Nor do I want all of Gotham to have another reason to chase me for."

"Right. Should've known." Joker feigned hurt, waving his hand about.

Bruce stared at the strange nut-case for a little bit before Alfred had returned with a tray full of medical devices.

"Sorry, were already done here." he refrained from using the others name.

"Jolly good then, but where will you take him to? Arkham?"

"You have a butler!" Joker had sat up and was grabbing at the ends of the table. "Wow you must be crazy rich!"

"Arkham is where he belongs. I'll take him there now." Bruce ignored Joker's comments and moved past the clown, which was a vital mistake.

It all happened in a flash, really. In one moment Joker was secure, the next, he had freed himself and had kicked the Dark Knight in the back. It caught him so off guard, Bruce didn't have time to retaliate.

"Not today, Batsy. I still have Gotham to pillage." he laughed, pulling something like a grenade out of his jacket pocket. On the front of the grenade had a big grin extremely similar to Joker's trademark smile.

Joker pulled the pin and rolled it to their feet, turning and taking off once the deed was done.

"So long! Thanks for taking care of me! Hahaha!" he tossed over his shoulder as he ran to the pole which led to the lower floors, taking hold, and then dissapearing.

"Move, Al!" Bruce barely managed to cover his butler when he heard a pop.

They both looked down at the grenade, which had now opened and in big red chicken-scratch said, 'PSYCH!'

Bruce looked to Alfred who looked to the toy and then back at each other.

"Remind me to never bring in guests again." Bruce sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

**So...LOL I don't think this story is going to be too serious anymore. xD I can't take this pairing seriously**

**as awesome as it would be irl**

**they have to be so ooc for it to work xD**

**and sorry for no update, I lose interest real easy but the reviews made me want to continue a little 3**

**the next chapter will be another episode in my own words again sort of**

**so please review and write me! c:**

* * *

"And we open the scene with me, the main character sitting in his studio doing some..thinking."

Joker was laying sideways upon his ridiculous purple armchair. He had his head back, looking at everything upside down. Eventually he'd get a little lightheaded and tilt himself up before he'd pass out, but it was the same thing for the past half hour.

"Ever since he has arrived out of Arkham, he seems to be dwindling on some things. Some things, well, that you readers may not find so in-character of our poor clown."

He'd frown, a little more than required, and stare at the sock puppets on his hands. Of course, it was he and the bat. Who else?

"Stay tuned to find out what our character is thinking. Or not. That's what makes the story so interesting.."

He'd flip over to lay on his stomach, and then stare out at his empty prop-studio with a low chuckle and grin.

* * *

It was a quiet night in Arkham. It always was whenever Joker was gone. But the peace would not last, he'd be back soon. The poor guy can't not get into some sort of trouble, fail, and get caught by the bat.

In you go! But Penguin tried to be a little more hide-away than Joker. At least a month of freedom is better than a day.

He had, somehow or another, tricked an orderly into bringing him some of his favorite tea. Then again, they were easy to bribe. Just needed a little sweet talk and tucked away cash.

He also had a little crappy radio. All that was needed for him to float away into his imagination, like he was home before all the chaos.

What was that? Oh, classical in the background. And oh my, that scream sounded almost-

Wait, scream?

Penguin snapped back to reality, setting down his tea and turning off the radio.

And slowly, he walked to the bars. Stupid shadows flitted about, making it hard for him to get a visual.

Not much to his surprise, he need not worry much longer.

Joker appearing there made Penguin want to go take a nap. And some possible drugs. Why would he be here?

"Penggy." Joker wrapped his white fingers around the bars, peering in with those devil-red eyes.

"So I'm really not just seeing stuff?" he walked a little closer, staring confused at the other.

"Nope. It's actually me! But listen, I need bro talk. And...your the only thing remotely close to that so...I can bust you out of here if you hear me out!"

Sketchy to sad to enthusiastic. Definitely Joker.

"Um sure." why not? What did he have to lose?

"Alright!" the door swings open, and Joker rushes in, grabbing the other by the shoulders. "Everyone outside is either dead or unconscious. I don't check, so we gotta go. And before bats shows up!"

Penguin watched the other swing his head around in excitement. Jesus, he liked getting beat up.

"Right right? Let's go!"

He took the small man by his arms, pretty much dragging him out of there.

He forgot his tea...

* * *

"So what exactly do you want of me?"

Penguin sat uneasily in the damp, dark little hideout Joker called home. And of course he did. Gags and novelties were everywhere. This must be heaven, right?

"Oh, it's nothing really. Just to talk."

Joker had resumed his position of being sideways in the chair, his legs and head dangling off, but his face faced Penguin now, along with any expression he felt was suitable for the conversation.

"Alright." Penguin let his eyes wander, but not his head.

"So," Joker sat up slightly, fidgeting with his hands as if he was making a construct of sorts. "I have this friend."

Lie. Lielielielie. How stupid does Joker think he is? He has no friends.

"Go on." Penguin had to feign interest. And it was hard with this one.

"And my friend has had this obsession his whole life you see?" staring off, Penguin let his attention slip a little. "He's a baddie. But he likes getting caught. The whole thrill of it, its just, exhilirating." he'd pause to make a passionate movement with his hands. Okay, move on now Joker. "And perhaps, through this whole cops and robbers game, he may have found someone he's fond of." he laid his hands out, now this was starting to get interesting. "Like a, uh, girl. But here's the dilemma, he doesn't know if it's more of a sister thing or more, ya know?"

Penguin just stared.

"I know I'm not making much sense but..." he'd glare. "Do I ever?"

Penguin slowly lifted a little finger, pointing at Joker. And then the laugh. Oh he'd been holding it and now he can't stop! Poor Penguin was holding his sides, and Joker was about to lose it.

"You-you-youuuuuu hahaha!" he squealed. "This is about a girl?"

"NOT FOR ME! MY FRIEND!" he grabbed the sides of the armchair, anger clear in his voice. And perhaps emberassment?

"Yeah right whatever. Okay, to put it blunt, if you, lets say, come near this person with no picture of you and her together in mind, then perhaps its a sister thing, but the way your asking me about it, and being so secretive to boot, it sounds a little more." he scratched his chin. "Boy she must be one wacked out broad to get your eye."

"She is not crazy, Penggy." he'd cross his arms. "Just, well, she completes me in a strange way. Got to thinking about it, can't be without her." he'd stop to look at the other. "This is stupid. I feel stupid. I should have never asked."

"As crazy as you are, pal, your still human. Even if it is only a little." he'd squeeze his fingers together.

"What about you?" in the same sentence, his voice went from angry, to almost a whisper.

Penguin caught it, and he smiled back, laughter in his eyes. "Nah, I'm a...more than one woman kind of man. I got the money, so I'll buy them all!"

Penguin would walk away then, laughing in that weird, birdish laugh that he always does. With a person like that, of course he'd have to pay them.

But then again, who would jump on the Joker train immediately? Pfff, right.

So how does one get...noticed. Perhaps in a good way. Yes, yes...

Perhaps he could try his hand at...flattery? This could work!

If he couldn't beat the bat he would be the bat!

Hehehehe...


End file.
